Fluid applicator



Dec. 12, 1950 J. w. TURLEY FLUID APPLICATOR Filed Dec My W H Patented Dec. 12, 1 950 FLUID APPLICATOR Jerome W. Turley, East Orange, N. .L, assignor of one-third to Eugene G. Cicchetti and onethird to Samuel Bahoosh, both of East Orange,

Application December 8, 1949, Serial No. 131,838

1 Claim.

This invention relates to novel articles of manufacture. In one of its more specific aspects the invention is directed to novel devices which may be employed for the administration of vaginal douches, for the administration of enemas, etc. in another of its aspects the novel devices are of such design that certain of their demountable parts may be detached therefrom and the remaining fluid retainer or bag may be used as a hot water bag, an ice collar, bed tube, sitting tube for wheel chair patients, etc.

An object of the present invention is to provide novel devices which do not require anyone other than the user for the administration of 'vaginal douches or enemas.

Another object of this invention is to provide such novel devices which may serve a great variety of purposes either in the home or in hospitals.

Still another object of this invention i to provide devices of the type referred to which are of simple construction, relatively small in number of parts, relatively inexpensive and easy to keep clean.

These as well as other objects and advantages of this invention will be readily apparent from the following description and appended drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a device embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is a view mainly in cross section on line 22 of Fig. 1, but with the nozzle being shown 'in plan view.

Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view illustrating a modification of the connection shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

According to this invention, there is provided a hollow endless collapsible tube Ill which may be in the form of an annulus. The seamless annular member III may be in the form of a relatively thin walled tube having an enlargement or rib II extending around the entire circumference thereof at the outer central part thereof. The tube I with the rib II may be composed of any desired material, such as rubber or any desired plastic material composed of resins of the polyvinyl type. The lower face of the annular tube III has an inlet opening therethrough carrying a sealed interiorly threaded bushing ring I2 for accommodating a demountable screw stopper or cap I3. The inner periphery of the annular tube It] has an outlet opening and at saidoutlet opening is an inwardly extending short discharge tube I I integral with tube I0 and composed of the same material as tube I0.

A unitary discharge hose and fluid-control combination I5 may be demountably connected to the tube II]. This combination comprises a rigid connector I6 one end of which extends into the outer end of tube I4 and makes a frictional liquid-tight seal therewith. This connector I5, which may be composed of any suitable plastic material or metal, has its outer end exteriorly threaded. A rigid housing I1 is in the form of i a cylinder having an inwardly extending annular flange or shoulder I8. A hard rubber ball I9 is located in said housing I7 and maintained in fixed location by a pin 20 extending therethrough with its ends extending into and secured to the housing IT. A flexible rubber tube 2I extends through the opening of the annular member I8 and has a shoulder 22 at one end thereof bearing against annular member I8. A rubber washer or grommet 23 is located in the housing I1 and is in frictional engagement with the interior thereof. The washer 23 is spaced from the ball I9 and bears against shoulder 22 to maintain shoulder 22 firmly against annular member I8 to assure a fluid-tight seal between shoulder 22 and member I8 at all times. The other end of the housing I! is interiorly threaded and makes threaded engagement with the threaded outer end of member I6. The outer end of the tube -2I has a nozzle 25 of appropriate design demountably coupled therewith by frictional engagement as shown.

Instead of having a discharge tube I4 extending outwardly from the inner circumference of tube I0 and making frictional engagement with the inner end of tube I6 as shown in Fig. 1, tube I 4 may be completely eliminated as shown in Fig. 3. In such a case, I provide a threaded bushing 30 in place of tube I4 and the inner end as well as the outer end of connector I6 is threaded so that the inner end thereof makes threaded engagement with bushing 30 for readily connecting to and disconnecting from the assembly I5 with respect to the tube I0.

In use when the device is to be used for administration of a vaginaldouohe or enema, the cap I3 of the device, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 or modified as shown in Fig. 3, is first removed and the tube I8 is filled through bushing I2 with the desired fluid. Then the person to be treated may in either sitting or lying position rest her buttocks upon the tube II! and insert the nozzle 25 into the appropriate body cavity. Then the housing H is rotated to move the ball valve I9 away from the end of the tube I6, which it closes in the position shown in Fig. 2, to thus permit the passage of fluid from tube Ill into and through tube 2| and nozzle 25. The weight of the body resting upon the collapsible tube 10 places the fluid under sufiicient pressure to force the fluid up to and through nozzle 25. The rate of fluid flowing through nozzle 25 is controlled by rotation of the housing I'I. After the desired amount of fluid has been expelled through nozzle 25, any further flow of fluid may be stopped by merely rotating the housing I? in the opposite direction to force the ball 59 back against the bevelled end of the tube l6.

While one may sit or lie on the tube I!) to apply pressure to the fluid therein, the tube Ill, if desired, may be placed on a support and pressure applied thereto by the user by placing the forearms on top of the tube Hi. This as well as a variety of other alternate methods may be employed by the user for providing a fluid flow from tube I0. I

If desired, the entire assembly I5 may be detached from the tube It and the tube it or bushing 39 may be closed by a suitable stopper or cap (not shown) and the tube H3 may now be used as a hot Water or ice bag, or the like.

While this invention has been described in detail, it is not to be limited to the exact construction shown, because various changes and modifloations may be made within the spirit of the invention as defined by the claim in this applica-' tion.

I claim:

A device of the character described comprising an annular hollow body formed or compressible material and constituting a collapsible liquid container, said container being formed with an 4 outlet through its inner peripheral portion, a coupling having inner and outer sections open at their ends, the inner section having its inner end portion secured in the outlet of said body and being externally threaded from its outer end, the outer section being internally threaded from its inner end and screwed upon the outer end portion of the inner section, an internal annular flange about the outer end of the outer section defining an opening therein, a ball in said outer section secured by a pin passing diametrically through the ball with its ends fitting into openings formed in diametrically opposed wall portions of the outer section, said ball constituting a closure movable into and out of a closed position against the outer end of the inner section by screwing the outer section onto and off of the inner section, a hose having its inner end portion passing through the opening at the outer end or the outer section and formed with a shouldered portion fitting between the flange and the confronting portion of the ball, and a nozzle at the outer end of said hose.

JEROME TURLEY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file or" this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 761,217 Gilbert May 31, 1904, 779,164 Jamison Jan. 3, 1905 1,086,878 Tyrrell Feb. 10, 1914 1,155,848 Tyrrell Oct. 5, 1%?15 

